


Crystal Lions

by OceanSurfer808, Ranelaws



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Inspired by Indiana Jones, M/M, Treasure Hunting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-02 01:02:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12716562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanSurfer808/pseuds/OceanSurfer808, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ranelaws/pseuds/Ranelaws
Summary: Keith and Lance grew up going on treasure hunts with Keith's archeologist father. When Keith's dad disappears under suspicious circumstances, Keith sets out on his own to find his father. Years later, the two treasure hunters and their friends are brought together by a mystery larger than any of them could have imagined.





	1. February 26, 2018 - Monday

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collaboration between two Voltron fans inspired by things like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Uncharted, and Tomb Raider. Chapters will be of various lengths and come intermittently due to life schedules. Note the time jumps in the chapter titles since some things will really dive into the past. Please leave comments! Good or bad, we want to hear them.

If it weren’t so isolated, the location would have been a perfect vacation destination. Tall trees on either side of a raging river flowing into a beautiful waterfall with a deep lake at the bottom. The lush South American rainforest was teeming with activity too. Birds were flying between treetops searching for their next meal. Branch climbing mammals were clicking and calling to each other trying to find a mate or looking for food. The roaring river was crashing against boulders littered across its wide expanse. The noise of the water crashing over the cliff into the lake below sounded like dull thunder. And two people were standing on top of a giant boulder yelling at each other right in the middle of it all.

“Are you kidding me?!” the tall one with shorter hair yelled across the boulder to his counterpart.

“Does it look like I’m joking? That’s your job!” the shorter one yelled back.

“We rock hopped from the shore and we’re stuck in the middle of the river! I thought you said we could get all the way across?”

“The water level is higher or something. Maybe there was some heavy rain. There were rocks all the way across on the satellite image. How should I know they’d be gone?”

“We’re going back. We’ll find another way across.”

“There isn’t time. They’ll catch up to us soon.”

“Wait… We can’t go across and we can’t go back. What exactly are you proposing?”

“We have to jump.”

Lance looked over the side of the boulder they were standing on. He looked down over the edge of the cliff watching the flowing river as it turned to mist and frothing foam at the bottom. “It’s like a mile high! We’ll be crushed when we hit the water down there.”

Keith closed the distance between them. “It’s only 200 feet or so. The water hitting the lake down there will break the surface tension for our impact.”

“Ok, now you’re talking like Pidge. I know you’re making this shit up. I’m too cute to die. Plus, I don’t even have my swimsuit,” Lance said with a pouty face.

Keith rolled his eyes and grabbed Lance’s shoulders. “We’ll make it. It’s that or get shot when they get here. Water or bullets, take your pick.” He let go and reached into his bulky shoulder bag to pull something out. “Or we can just hand over the Green Lion to Lotor and his mercenaries when they get here,” he said as he pulled something shiny out of the bag. The sun hit the object and it glowed a bright green. The light refracted inside the crystal idol bouncing off every interior angle making it seem to glow in the sunlight. The eyes practically flared as the sun was concentrated into them. Keith tucked the Green Lion back into his bag, securely fastened the buckles, and tightened the strap around his shoulder.

Lance pursed his lips together and looked at Keith. “There is no way we’re handing that over to that psycho Lotor or his dad. They’d probably kill us anyway.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot and the ricochet of a bullet off the boulder they were standing on. A few combat modified Jeeps had pulled up along the shore and multiple mercenaries had their weapons aimed in their direction.

“Looks like the two rats finally ran out of places to hide,” shouted the obvious leader of the group as he stepped down from his vehicle. His jawline was so sharp it almost appeared alien. Long white hair was pulled tight against his head and hung in a ponytail down his back. He stood with his arms crossed glaring with disdain at the two on the rock. “If you hand over the idol, I promise to let you both live.”

Lance shouted back to the shoreline, “Really? That’s so generous of you! Just give me a second to hop on over.” Lance said with mock joy. “After what you did to me before, I know better. How stupid do you think I am, Lotor?”

Lotor’s lips peeled back exposing his sharp teeth in a snarl. “Was that a rhetorical question, you idiot?”

Lance turned to Keith and squinted his eyes. “That was an insult wasn’t it? Did he just call me stupid?”

Despite the tense circumstances, Keith couldn’t help giggle at Lance. He then turned to the shoreline. “You’re not getting it, Lotor. I’ll throw it over the edge and it will float downstream and be lost. You don’t want to risk losing it anymore than we do.”

Lotor waved his hand in the air dismissively. “Throw it then. It will just take more time for my team to search the lake and river for it. We  _ will _ find it.” Lotor’s eyes narrowed. “Unlike your bodies.” He motioned his team to take aim at the two on the rock.

Lance sighed and stepped closer to Keith. “Don’t lose that bag on the way down Kogane. There’s a lot on the line with those little Lions.” He reached his hand up and grabbed the sweat soaked hair dangling against Keith’s neck. Lance yanked Keith’s head forward and pressed their lips together. It had to be brief with the threat of bullets flying, but a lot of emotions passed between the two in those few seconds. Lance let go of Keith’s hair and stepped backwards to the edge of the boulder. He pushed himself up and off towards the rushing waterfall. As his feet left the ground he put his arm out towards Lotor and gave him the finger.

Keith laughed as Lance flicked Lotor off and disappeared into the mist below. He stepped back and took a running leap forward off the rock and over the edge after Lance.

Lotor growled as the two adventurers disappeared from his sight. He turned to one of his subordinates. “Call for a helicopter. Those two are not getting away,” he said through clenched teeth as he got back in the Jeep.


	2. July 16, 2010 - Saturday

“Now be careful boys! Don’t touch the paintings on the cave wall. They’re very old and easily damaged,” the man leading the group told the two boys behind him. “Just hold the rope as we walk down into the cave and you’ll be fine.”

“Do you suppose there’s like a treasure chest down there?” the brown haired boy asked the other one.

“Dad says that things are never marked by the letter X or buried in treasure chests.” A big grin spread across the boy with the long black hair pulled into a ponytail. “I hope he’s wrong. I want to see a treasure chest full of gold coins!”

The two boys smiled at each other, their excitement obvious by the look on their faces. When they reached the end of the rope, the were standing on the edge of a steep drop off. There was a rope ladder with metal rungs firmly attached a few feet in from the edge. 

“Ok boys, it’s the moment of truth,” the group leader said. You can come down the ladder with me or wait up here with the others. You can help them take pictures and document the paintings on the walls.” 

The dark haired boy stepped forward. “I’m coming with you Dad.” He turned to his friend. “You coming, Lance?”

The other boy’s face was contorted in thought while considering the options. “I happen to value my life more than you, Keith. I think I’ll stay up here.”

Keith shrugged his shoulders and started to turn away. “Bawk, bawk, bawk. Whatever you say Chicken McClain.”

“I am not a chicken!” Lance yelled and walked over towards the ladder. “Fine, I’ll go. Besides, if I fall off the ladder, you’ll break my fall when I land on you.”

Keith smiled as one of the team members fit him and Lance with safety harnesses.

“Take it easy boys. This isn’t a joking matter. The ropes on the safety harnesses will prevent you from falling, but make sure and hold onto the ladder as you go down,” Mr. Kogane told the two as he started descending over the edge.

The two boys took turns getting started down the ladder. They were both tired by the time they reached the bottom of the cliff. They were all standing in a small open semicircle of space with cliff edges going up as high as the eye could see. Opposite from the ladder was a smaller cave opening. It was lit with lights powered by a cord coming down from the top of the cliff where the ladder started. The cave entrance was different than anything Keith had seen before on trips with his dad. It was round. It was round like a circle, only the bottom part was cut off by a flat floor. It wasn’t the usual cave floor with bumpy rocks, it was completely smooth. They followed Mr. Kogane into the opening and walked into an open room.

Keith’s eyes got big as he looked around. “Wow,” was all that escaped his lips.

Lance wasn’t quite as eloquent. “Holy shit.”

“Lance, watch your language. I don’t need your mother lecturing me again,” Mr. Kogane said as he wagged his finger at the boy.

Along the walls were similar paintings to what was up above, but they were more precise and in much more vibrant colors. It was like these paintings hadn’t degraded one bit in the centuries they’d been down here. There were silver colored drawings of what looked like a city, some drawings of people fighting, forests, water, fire, all sorts of things. It was like one big collage that someone had painted down here.

“You boys are the first ones to see this besides me,” Keith’s father said. “Something just drew me to this location.” He clutched at a pendant around his neck as he spoke. “The cave paintings up above are so primitive compared to what is down here. It’s like two different civilizations did them 100s of years apart. The photography team is coming down later today and then we’ll be able to get more people looking at the drawings. My phone keeps blurring up all the images when I try to take a picture down here for some reason.”

Keith only heard half of what his father was saying. He was walking towards one of the drawings on the wall. He was drawn toward what appeared to be a random drawing of some mountains. There was fire shooting up out the top of some of the mountains like a volcano. It was what Keith saw in the middle of the mountain that drew him towards it. There was a slight glow of red in the shape of a cat. No… not a cat. More like a lion. Keith raised his hand toward the wall and it seemed like the shape grew more pronounced and started glowing a brighter red.

“What did you do?” came the voice of Keith’s father from behind him.

“Nothing! I was just looking at the wall and… “ Keith stopped talking when he realized his dad was talking to Lance.

“I didn’t do anything. It just did that when I got close,” Lance explained.

“Do it again,” Mr. Kogane told the frightened boy. “Go ahead, I want to see that glow.”

Lance raised his hand up towards the wall. Unlike Keith’s portion of the wall, this looked like snow or ice. It was hard to tell what it was supposed to be, but that isn’t what caused everyone to stare. As Lance’s hand got closer to the wall, a blue glowing outline started to appear in the shape of a lion. It was just like what Keith had seen, only brighter and blue instead of red. Lance pulled his hand back quickly as the glow got intense. The bizarre occurrence was interrupted by Mr. Kogane’s radio blaring static. 

He pulled the radio from his belt. “Say again surface one? This is tunnel team, say again?”

“Potential flash flood on the way. Need to clear the caves ASAP,” was the brief message from above ground.

“Back to the ladder boys! Now!” Keith’s dad rapidly ushered them both out of the chamber and down the circular tunnel. He clipped them into their harnesses and started them both up the ladder. As soon as they were all up top, he led them back up the rope to the tiny mouth of the cave. As the three of them squeezed out, the camp was being torn apart and packed up into trucks.

“What’s happening?” Mr. Kogane demanded of the nearest person.

“The record rains have pushed the dam up north to its limit. We’re being asked to pull out for safety’s sake. All the equipment is nearly packed, your notes are in your car,” the worker quickly spit out before running towards his own vehicle.

They all piled into the Kogane family SUV and started driving out along with the rest of the caravan. The two boys were excitedly discussing their adventure in the backseat as they drove away from the site.

Shortly after the caravan climbed back out of the valley and onto the main highway, they heard a roaring noise. The dam had given way and was pouring water into the valley at a rapid rate. Trees were being swept away like small twigs in the force of the flood waters. They were lucky to be alive.

A few days later a report came back from the reconnaissance team. The cave was buried under several meters of mud and debris. Even if they managed to clear out the entrance, it was likely the cave and lower region were full of debris and packed in with mud. The tools needed to excavate it would never fit in the tiny cave entrance. For all intents and purposes, the cave was gone.

Keith’s father held the pendant around his neck as he shook his head and started researching his next dig site. Whatever the mystery on those walls was down there, it was lost for now. On the bright side, both Lance and Keith couldn’t stop talking about the trip and wanted to go on the next adventure. The trip into that cave had made a lasting impression on the young boys.


	3. January 16, 2016 - Saturday

“Ouch! That hurts,” Keith yelped.

“What's the matter now?” Lance asked.

“You're hurting me. Take it out!” Keith shouted.

Lance sighed. “We've done this a dozen times before and you only complained the first time because I didn't know how you wanted it.”

“Well, you're doing it wrong this time,” Keith complained.

Lance’s face twisted in confusion. “There's a wrong way to do this?”

“Obviously!” Keith growled. “Pull it out and try again.”

“You can be such a baby,” Lance complained.

“Uh, guys? What are you doing in here?” Hunk asked cautiously from the doorway of the hotel room.

Lance pulled the elastic band out of Keith's hair and started over. “I'm trying to tie up Keith McFussypant’s ponytail, but apparently I'm torturing him.”

“You keep getting it caught in my hair!” Keith whined.

Lance looked at Hunk in frustration. “See what I mean?”

“Why didn't you tie it up earlier? The dance starts in a few minutes,” Hunk admonished them.

“There!” Lance said as he twisted the elastic band around the ponytail for the final time.

“Finally. That's the last time I let you mess with my hair,” Keith said as he stood up.

Lance rolled his eyes and mimicked Keith’s voice. “Don’t mess with my precious hair!”

Keith sneered at Lance and pulled on one sleeve of his suit jacket. He pulled the long ponytail around his back and slipped into the other sleeve.

Hunk laughed at them. “So, you two ready for your date now?”

“How many times do we have to tell you, it's not a date. We're just going together as friends because neither of us has a date,” Keith explained.

“Uh huh,” Hunk said with a smirk.

“Just go get Shay so we can get to the dance on time,” Lance begged him.

Hunk laughed as he left the doorway to go get Shay from her room.

Keith snorted. “A date. He's got some nerve.”

“Yeah. Imagine how stupid you'd look in a dress,” Lance joked.

“Shut up. Let's go find those two and get down to the ballroom,” Keith said as he shoved Lance out the door.

The two of them made their way down the hallway toward Hunk’s room. The door opened and Hunk emerged with Shay on his arm.

“Holy shit,” Lance said in awe as the couple faced them.

Keith smiled and elbowed Lance in the ribs. “You look amazing, Shay.”

Shay was smiling and looking down at the ground. In contrast to her imposing figure, she was extremely shy. The pink prom dress she wore snugged tightly to her toned form and the silver threads hidden within gave it a subtle sparkle. Her brown hair was nothing like her usual spartan hairstyle. It was slightly curled up around her head and cascaded down to her shoulders in flowing strands.

“Will you marry me?” Lance muttered while winking obnoxiously.

“ _ Lance _ ,” Hunk said in a warning tone as he scowled at his friend.

“Sorry, Hunk. Shay, you look fantastic,” Lance said as he composed himself again.

“Yes she does,” Hunk said with a smile. “Now, if you’re done flirting with my girlfriend, I think we have a dance to attend?”

The group of four made their way down the hall and hit the down button for the elevator. As they waited for the down arrow to light up, Shay looked over Keith and Lance.

“Why do you two always wear blue and red?” she asked out of curiosity.

Lance opened his suit jacket showing off his bright blue shirt underneath as he pointed toward Keith’s red shirt under his jacket.

“That’s a long story,” Lance explained. “When we were kids, Keith’s dad took us on an archeological expedition. We went down into a cave and the paintings on the walls glowed when we touched them. Mine was sapphire blue and Keith’s was crimson red.”

“The walls glowed?” Shay asked incredulously.

Keith spoke up. “For once, Lance isn’t crazy. We never knew why and the cave was flooded right after that. My dad hasn’t been able to figure it out, but he will someday.”

“I’ve heard that story a million times,” Hunk told her. “The little glowing lions in the wall. Personally, I think there just wasn’t enough oxygen in the cave.” He tilted his head to the side in thought. “That would explain why Lance is the way he is.”

“Hey!” Lance yelled with an injured look. “I was not oxygen deprived. I’m just unique.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Keith said with a giggle as the elevator doors opened and they all got in.

When they arrived at the ballroom, Shay’s mother came up to the group. She was beaming with pride at her daughter. “You took long enough to get ready, but the result was definitely worth it.”

“Thanks, Mom. Hunk helped curl my hair. He wouldn’t let me come down until it was just right,” she explained to her mother.

The older woman’s smile turned to Hunk. “Well, you did a fantastic job. Now, this is a dance so get out there and boogey,” she said excitedly.

“ _ Mom _ ,” Shay said with an embarrassed look as she pulled Hunk away and walked to the dance floor.

“You two look dashing,” Shay’s mother said to the remaining pair. “Lance, your mother told me you two were coming together. She’s out on the floor somewhere waiting for you.”

“We’re not together,” Lance said. “I mean we’re here together, but not together together. You know, like really together.”

Keith was turning a shade of red that almost matched his shirt.

Shay’s mother smiled. “Go find your mother. She wanted to see how you looked in a suit instead of that grungy jacket you always wear. Go on!” she said as she gently pushed the boys out onto the floor.

“There is nothing wrong with my favorite jacket!” Lance shouted over his shoulder as Keith dragged him away. 

“Come on,” Keith said as he pulled Lance over to a table with punch and appetizers on it. “I didn’t realize your mother was a chaperone tonight.”

“She lives for things like this. You know that,” Lance said and shoved a piece of cake in his mouth.

“I was wondering why she agreed to us getting a hotel room here so easily,” Keith said as he took a glass of punch for himself and handed another to Lance.

“Oh, she trusts me anyway. I mean, how much trouble can someone this good looking possibly get into?” he asked with an exaggerated smile.

“You’ve got cake in your teeth,” Keith said flatly and turned to the crowded dance floor.

Lance rubbed his teeth and tapped Keith on the shoulder. “Is it gone?”

Keith giggled as he ignored Lance’s question. “Those two do make a cute couple,” he said as Hunk and Shay passed by on the dance floor.

“I’m just amazed the big guy can move like that. Usually he’s a bit of a tank,” Lance observed.

“Come on guys! Come dance with us!” Hunk yelled as he walked off the dance floor and grabbed the two by the arm.

“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” Keith said as he looked over toward Lance.

After a few fast paced songs where everyone was moving like they were having a seizure, acting like a robot, or just waving their arms all over, an old fashioned disco song came on. Lance immediately moved to the center of the group and did his best John Travolta dance imitation. Everyone on the dance floor was laughing and enjoying themselves as he pointed from floor to ceiling with the beat of the music. Lance smiled at every girl within a fifteen foot radius as he flirted his way across the dance floor. He skidded to his knees in the middle of his friends as the song came to an end. Shay clapped wildly as Keith and Hunk shook their heads and groaned.

Lance got to his feet and bowed to no one in particular as the DJ started the next song. This time, it was a slow one. He watched as Hunk held out his hand inviting Shay to dance with him. Not ready to leave the dance floor yet, Lance tapped Keith on his shoulder and held out his hand.

“What’s that for?” Keith asked in a confused tone.

“Care to dance with me?” Lance responded.

Keith looked around at everyone huddled together in pairs as they slow danced to the new song. “No, that would be weird. Let’s get off the dance floor.”

Lance scowled. “Oh come on party pooper. I’ll let you lead.” 

Keith grabbed Lance’s hand and pulled him off the dance floor. 

Lance crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “You are way too uptight Ponytail. Live a little. Enjoy life and take a few risks.”

Keith leaned up against the wall next to Lance. “You want everyone to think we  _ are _ together together?”

“It’s just a dance, Keith. No one cares who dances with who. You just need to loosen up and have fun,” Lance said seriously.

“There you are, honey!” came a cheerful voice from the edge of the dance floor.

Lance uncrossed his arms and gave the woman a kiss on her cheek. “Hey, Mom.”

“You boys look fantastic! You need to dress up more often. Those silly jackets you always wear just don’t do you justice,” she told the two boys. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go scold someone for spiking the punch.”

Keith laughed as she went running off after one of their classmates. “I love your mom. She’s just as crazy as you.”

“You have no idea,” Lance said as he laughed. “I would hate to be the kid she saw spike the punch.”

The dance gradually wound down and people started heading out. Some people regrouped and made their way to the parking lot, others walked to the elevators to go to their hotel rooms. The four friends recounted all the fun they had during the dance as they rode the elevator up to their floor.

“Oh, and my mother said to remind all of you that she’s just down the hall from our rooms,” Lance said seriously. “So, no sneaking into Shay’s room, Hunk.”

Shay blushed and looked at the floor. Hunk blushed and looked at the ceiling. Keith punched Lance hard in the arm.

“Ow! What? I’m totally serious!” Lance insisted.

Keith shoved Lance out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. “Goodnight guys!” he yelled over his shoulder as he pushed Lance down to their room.

Lance pulled out the key card and swiped it in the door lock. He opened the door, tossed his suit jacket on the chair, and flopped onto one of the beds. “Did you see how they both blushed?”

Keith closed the door and took off his suit jacket. “Yes, but that was mean. They’re both ridiculously shy. They probably won’t be able to talk to each other for a week after that.”

“Ug. You’re probably right. I’ll apologize tomorrow. Why is it all the big tough guys are so sensitive?” Lance wondered aloud.

“That’s what makes them so lovable I guess,” Keith reasoned as he kicked off his shoes and started unbuttoning his red dress shirt.

Lance rolled over on his stomach and stared at Keith. “I swear you enjoy teasing me.”

Keith laughed as he took off his shirt and slipped it onto a hanger. “We all enjoy teasing you, Lance.”

“Very funny. No, I mean this. You stripping down in front of me all the time,” Lance said as he stood up and kicked off his shoes.

“We’ve been best friends since we were barely old enough to talk. I didn’t think I needed to be self conscious about changing clothes in front of you,” Keith reasoned.

Lance unbuttoned his shirt. “I guess not. Especially since you’re too afraid to even be seen dancing with me,” he said as he tossed his shirt on top of the jacket. 

Keith took off his pants and hung them in the garment bag along with his dress shirt and suit jacket. He carefully zipped it up and flopped back on the other bed in just his boxers. “Besides, you’re the one who’s teasing all the time. You enjoy making people stare at you.”

Lance added his pants to the pile of clothes on the chair. “Well, of course. Who can resist staring at this?” Lance said as he gestured toward himself like he was a game show prize.

Keith laughed and crawled under the covers. “I hope someday you manage to find the right girl, or guy, who can deal with your craziness.”

Lance dove onto his own bed and wiggled under the sheets. “And maybe someday you’ll find a guy who can put up with your mood swings and lone wolf attitude,” he said jokingly.

“Maybe,” Keith said quietly. “Goodnight, Lance.”

“Night, Ponytail.”

\------

Lance woke up suddenly when something hit his face. He reached up and pulled the fabric away from his head. In the dimly lit room he could see Keith standing at the foot of the bed in just his red swim trunks. He looked at the fabric in his hands and realized Keith had thrown his blue swim trunks at him.

“Hurry up and put them on,” Keith whispered loudly.

Lance looked at the cheap hotel alarm clock and sat up in bed. “Why? It’s 2:40 in the morning. The pool is closed.”

“I know. We’re going to break in,” Keith said with a mischievous grin.

Lance took a deep breath and glared at Keith. “When I mentioned mood swings earlier, I didn’t count bat shit crazy as one of them.”

“You told me I need to take some risks and have fun,” Keith explained. “So, we’re going to go for a swim. Right now.”

Lance groaned and got up. “Fine, but if we get in trouble, I’m blaming you,” he said as he walked into the bathroom to put on his swim trunks.

The pool was in a separate building adjacent to the hotel. They were connected by a walkway with a locked door at the pool end. Keith walked up to the door and wedged his key card between the door handle and the strike plate. After a few seconds of wiggling it back and forth, the lock gave way and the door opened.

Lance furrowed his brow. “How did you learn to do that?” he asked as they slipped through the door into the pool area.

Keith smiled as he gently closed the door behind them. “Something Dad taught me. It doesn’t work on all doors, but I figured this lock would be pretty beat up after a ton of use.”

“So your dad is part archeologist and part thief? How come he never teaches me any of that cool stuff?” Lance whined.

“Probably because he’s afraid of what you’d do with the knowledge.” Keith laughed and jumped into the pool.

“Good point,” Lance agreed and jumped in after Keith.

The two swam in silence for a while before Lance climbed out of the pool and got in the hot tub. Keith pulled himself over the edge of the pool and slowly submerged himself in the hot tub as well.

“Okay, this totally makes your breaking and entering trip worthwhile,” Lance said with a relaxed sigh as the warm water enveloped his body.

Keith wiggled his toes in the warm water. They couldn’t risk turning on the jets, but the hot water was more than enough to relax their muscles. 

“Speaking of fun, are we still on for the sunken treasure hunt this summer?” Lance asked.

“Hell yes. Dad got us set up with a diving ship owned by someone named Captain Coran. Dad’s used him on multiple treasure hunts before. We’re slated to go out the week after school is over. Dad rented the ship through the end of July so we’ll have time to search the area where we think that old galleon went down.” Keith reached back and pulled the band from his hair letting it loose in the water. “Did you ask your parents for permission to go?”

“After we paid all that money for diving certification, they couldn’t say no. I think they’re actually excited to have me out of the house for most of the summer,” Lance admitted.

Keith smiled and nodded. “I can see how they’d enjoy that. A few weeks of Lance-free peace in the house. How about Hunk? Do you think he’s still planning on coming too? Having his strength to help with the diving equipment would really be good.”

“Yeah, I talked to him about it last week. He’s really excited about going, but I think he’ll end up spending the first couple weeks barfing over the side of the ship,” Lance said with a grin. “Speaking of Hunk, do you suppose those two managed at least a kiss tonight?”

“Probably not. They’re both shy about the whole dating thing and it doesn’t help when you tease them about it,” Keith said as he flicked some water at Lance.

Lance snorted. “Come on, it’s just a kiss. They’ve been dating for months now. It isn’t like kissing is that big of a deal.”

“Maybe not to someone like you that flirts with every living thing, but to some people it is,” Keith fired back.

Lance stared at Keith. “Wait, are you talking about them or you?”

Even in the hot water, Keith could feel his face blushing red. “It should be a big deal to everyone.”

Lance narrowed his eyes and his lip curled up on one side. “You haven’t kissed anyone yet have you?” he asked with thinly veiled glee.

“What difference does it make?” Keith asked defensively. 

Lance leaned back against the wall of the hot tub and laid his arms up along the edge. “It’s part of growing up. Everyone needs to experience it at some point.”

Keith leaned his head back against the edge and sighed. “I just want my first time to be kind of special. I don’t want to just kiss someone because everyone is doing it. I bet you don’t even remember your first real kiss.”

Lance pursed his lips and thought for a second. “Of course I do. Your first kiss is something you never forget. It was last summer when your dad took us to Mexico looking for that Aztec tomb. You remember the tall girl, Florona, that helped out our local guide? We spent a little time off to the side of the trail making out,” Lance said with a satisfied smile on his face.  “I’ve kissed dozens of people since then, but they all kind of blur together though.”

“Dozens?” Keith asked with a slight hint of disbelief. “Have there really been that many?”

Lance leaned forward in the water and stared at Keith. “Okay, maybe not dozens. Just a couple actually. I might flirt a lot, but I won’t just randomly kiss someone unless they mean something to me.”

Keith nodded. “I don’t think I’ll have someone like that to kiss for a while.”

Lance huffed and shook his head. “You just have to stop being so stubborn. You’re gorgeous and under that gruff personality is an amazing person. Any guy would be lucky to date you.”

Keith looked down into the water. “Thanks, Lance. I’m just not ready for all that yet. Maybe someday.”

Lance moved forward to the center of the hot tub and stared at Keith. “You know, there are other options.”

Keith looked up and stared into those deep blue eyes. “Other options? Like what?”

Lance moved forward a little further. “Well, I’d be willing to kiss you. I guarantee it would be a first kiss you’d remember.”

Keith suddenly realized just how warm the hot tub was. He forced a slight giggle as he tried not to look at Lance. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind if I get truly desperate.”

Lance huffed and turned to the side of the hot tub. “Fine, but the offer won’t last forever.” He planted his hands on the edge and pulled himself out of the water. “It won’t be long before some magnificent specimen of the human race realizes they can’t live without me.”

Keith stood up and got out of the hot tub. He rolled his eyes and started drying himself off. “I can’t wait to meet that specimen,” he said with a laugh. “Come on. We better get back up to the room before your mother realizes we snuck out and sends a search party.”

The two dried off and tossed towels around their shoulders. They made it out of the pool area and up to their room without any issues. Neither hotel staff nor Lance’s mother stopped them before they got in their room again.

Keith walked over to his bed and flopped down on his stomach. “Ok, I’m officially beat. That hot tub drained all the energy I had left.”

“Yeah, but it was fun. Good idea there, Keith. Glad your dad taught you some lock picking skills,” Lance said as he fell backwards on his bed.

Neither one managed to say another word before they both fell sound asleep.

\------

“Did you two go swimming last night?” came the booming voice that brought Lance back to consciousness.

“Oh god, Mom. Could you lower the volume a few notches? It’s early,” Lance whined as he pulled a pillow over his face.

“Get up right now. It’s time to checkout,” she said with authority. “Get going and I won’t tell Mr. Kogane you two broke into the pool in the middle of the night. You know better than to pull stunts like that.”

Keith and Lance both slowly got up and grabbed a shirt to pull on along with their swimsuits. They gathered their other clothes and followed Mrs. McClain to the elevator. Hunk and Shay must have already been gone since housekeeping had already started cleaning their rooms. Both boys fell asleep on the ride home since they’d tired themselves out in the pool. 

Keith thanked Lance’s mom when he got out of the car and waved goodbye as they pulled away from his house. He went up and opened the door to find his father packing a suitcase and tossing journals into a briefcase.

“Um, something going on?” Keith asked in confusion.

His dad stopped packing and ran over to grab his son by the shoulders. “I’ve got a lead. A big lead. There’s also a sponsor who is paying for a full expedition.”

Keith scowled. “A lead on what?”

The smile that lit up his dad’s face conveyed massive excitement. “The Lions. Some ancient scrolls were found referencing the Lions we found in the cave years ago. I’ve been asked to lead up an expedition to find more artifacts.”

Keith felt his own level of excitement rising. “How? Where did they find the scrolls? Who is the sponsor? When do we leave?” he quickly rattled off.

The older Kogane shook his head. “Not we. This is going to be dangerous and you’re staying here. I’ll leave some money in your bank account for necessities.  I should be back in a month or so.”

“But, it’s the Lions!” Keith pleaded with his father.

“This isn’t up for discussion. You’re staying in school,” his father said with finality. “I’ll keep you updated as much as I can, but we’ll be pretty remote for a while.” He walked back to his desk, picked up a few things, and brought them back to Keith. “Take these. Keep them safe.”

Keith held out his hands as his father placed a stone pendant necklace and a USB drive in them. “That’s Mom’s necklace,” he said quietly. “Why are you leaving that with me?”

The pendant was made of stone that was somewhere between a deep purple and onyx black. When the light hit it right, it looked like it glowed from the inside with an eerie purple hue. The shape resembled a small knife with an uneven blade that curved more on one side than the other. Every jeweler, gemologist, historian, and antique expert they’d taken it to had no idea what its origins were.

“That pendant has been in your mother’s family for as long as anyone can remember. It belongs with her descendent, not her husband. She would have wanted you to have that by now. Plus, it’s connected to this whole thing somehow. That pendant is what helped me find the first cave. There’s more details in the journals on the flash drive.” His tone turned somber. “If something happens to me, that pendant might help you figure out what to do. Between you and Lance, you’ll figure it out.”

“Nothing is going to happen to you,” Keith said as he gripped the pendant tightly. “I lost Mom a long time ago and I can’t lose you too.”

Mr. Kogane messed up his son’s hair and picked up his bags. “I’ll be fine. You’ll see me in a month and hopefully we’ll know way more about the Lions when I get back.”

“Be careful, Dad.”

“I will. Do me a favor though. Get a haircut while I’m gone, ok? That mane on your head is out of control,” he said jokingly as he walked out the door.

\------

“He’s hunting for more info on the Lion paintings?” Lance asked the next day at school as the three friends sat together during study hall.

Keith nodded. “He left the pendant and a digital copy of his journals with me. He seems to think this expedition is dangerous for some reason. I’m a little worried.”

Lance waved dismissively. “Your dad can take care of himself. He’s been treasure hunting for years and knows all the tricks. I’m disappointed he didn’t take us with though. We practically discovered those Lions.”

“Have you looked at the flash drive yet?” Hunk asked.

“No. I figured he just wanted me to keep it safe. I get the feeling he doesn’t trust this sponsor of his,” Keith reasoned. “I’m leaving these at school hidden under our locker, Lance.”

“Fine, but give me the drive. Let’s see what’s on there first,” Lance said as he held out his hand.

Keith handed over the drive and they all looked on as Lance inserted it in his laptop. The disappointment in the air was palpable as a little “Enter Password” dialog box popped up. After a few dozen attempts using birthdays, favorite colors, and random food items, they gave up.

“I cloned it to my hard drive so we have another copy just to be safe,” Lance said before handing the drive back to Keith.

“Good idea,” Keith admitted as he tucked the drive and pendant into his pocket.

Hunk ran off to his next class as Keith and Lance went to their locker. Lance opened the door and pried up the metal plate at the bottom of their locker. Keith carefully tucked the pendant and the flash drive into the empty space and Lance pushed the metal plate back down.

“No one will look for those here,” Lance said. “You’ll keep me up to date with what your dad tells you, right?”

Keith smiled. “Of course. We’re a team,” he said as the walked off to their next classes.


End file.
